On Tuesday evening I spent a rather chilly night sleeping on College Green to show my support for the campaign "Dignity for Asylum Seekers". This is a campaign run by Bristol Refugee Rights which highlights the plight of people seeking asylum in this country.

The catch-word of our short camp was "destitution", for this is the condition in which many asylum-seekers in Bristol find themselves. (One of the banners at the camp reminded people that "over 150 asylum seekers are destitute in Bristol".) And the word "destitution" felt particularly urgent, and ugly, after I'd spent a night in the cold - God help those poor folk for whom this is their daily life.

In addition to showing solidarity, the camp was also in anticipation of a Council debate concerning asylum seekers, which took place the next afternoon (yesterday). In 2011 Bristol declared itself a "City of Sanctuary" for asylum seekers, with members of all political parties signing the declaration. Clearly sanctuary must mean something more than destitution, and this is what the debate in the council chamber was focused on.

I'm pleased to report that the Council recognised that the current state of affairs is unacceptable, and have resolved to do something about it:

Full Article | Outside and Inside the Council House - another report on the action | Sleep Out in the Chains of Destitution Callout

Monday 14th January 8pm The Cube, Dove Street, Bristol.  Entry £3/£4 (But nobody turned away due to lack of funds)

We are really pleased to present the Secret City film a film produced by local lad Lee Salter and Michael Chanan, a film that exposes the power that the City of London has over our lives.

London and the City of London are not the same place. London is a metropolis of 8 million people. The City of London is the famous square mile in the middle, with about 7,000 residents. A Corporation older than Parliament, the City of London has played a key historical role in protecting and promoting the interests of finance capital.

Secret City investigates the power wielded by the Corporation of London over British economic policy, through which it sustains London’s prime position at the hub of global finance capital — not least through control of the majority of the world’s tax havens.

The film exposes the Corporation’s anti-democratic constitution, the ancient laws which allow it function as a state within a state, and thus to promote an illusory promise of economic growth at the cost of the real economy.

The filmmakers will be present to discuss the film after its screening.

Interested in eating healthily, but don't want to ditch your all-time favourite treats and have salads all the time? Do you always wonder why we love dogs, but eat pigs and wear cows? The upcoming 'Vegucate Bristol Film Series' has all the answers!

The film series shows you the very best of a plant-based lifestyle through screenings of award-winning feature documentaries on the subject. These include Vegucated, Planeat, Got the Facts on Milk?, Forks over Knives and Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home. There are also FREE PIZZAS plus plenty of entertainment on offer, with some rip-roaring stand-up comedy,  mouthwatering cookery demos and raffle prize draws!

The film series takes place every Tuesday evening from April 2nd to May 7th 2013 at the Polish Club in the Clifton area of Bristol. Each night begins at 6:30 and ends at 10. All food served is 100% plant-based. Admission FREE, donations welcome (suggested donation: 2 pounds). All funds raised go to Vegfam charity, who feeds the hungry across the globe without animal exploitation. 

Space is limited, and admission begins at 6:30 sharp, so please arrive early to avoid disappointment!

For the latest updates, search 'Vegucate Bristol Film Series' on Facebook. For further queries, please contact Vegucate Bristol by email at vegucate.bristol@gmail.com or by phone on 07786850945.

This weekend saw a range of direct action taken against Starbucks coffee shops in Bristol and Bath, in response to the ongoing scandal whereby Starbucks were revealed to have paid a meagre 8.6 million pounds in corporation tax over the past 14 years. Starbucks UK sales during 2011 amounted to over 400 million pounds.

On Saturday in Bristol a lively and well supported demo with around 40 protesters shut down the Starbucks stores in Broadmead and Clifton Down.

Meanwhile in Bath on Sunday a group of around 20 activists set up a free fair trade and organic tea stall outside Starbucks on Bath High St to discuss Starbucks tax avoidance with members of the public.

Bath Anti Starbucks Demo Report | Bristol Starbucks Demo Report | Bristol Anarchist Foundation Starbucks Action Report | UK Uncut Website